One Day They'll Know
by CanYouHearTheSirens
Summary: "I pick it up gingerly and wait for something to happen, for me to feel some kind of rush of positivity or negativity towards my decision. I don't feel anything at all. Just a cold, metal Poké Ball in my sweaty hand." (A Pokémon Black 2 novelization. Rated T for language. Full summary inside.)
1. Chapter 1

One Day They'll Know

_Summary: Rosa is just like all the rest: she's spent years waiting to receive her own Pokémon, finally take off on her journey, and challenging the League with some Gym Badges under her belt. But with the return of Team Plasma, Unova isn't nearly as peaceful as it used to be, and she finds herself both wrapped up in plans to bring them down once and for all and reminded everywhere she turns of the trainer from two years ago, the Hero of Truth that saved the region. How is Rosa supposed to make her own mark when she can't escape the shadow of someone she's never even met? What's the point in saving everyone when they would all rather be saved by someone else?_

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Chapter One

"Rosa! I'm home!"

Mom slams the front door of our little one-story house harder than she usually does when she comes back from talking with Hugh's mother. I can hear it through the music blaring out of my earbuds, and I hurriedly yank them out and close my magazine. Roxie's voice and the loud guitar riff stop abruptly.

"What's up, Ma?" I call from my bedroom. I fling my magazine onto the floor halfheartedly and watch Elesa's beautiful face land on the carpet. On the back, the actor Brycen is dressed in a purple and green getup and is posing for a picture preview for a new film, courtesy of Pokéstar Studios. Didn't he used to be a gym leader, years ago? What could possibly make him want to become an actor with a job as great as that?

"Come to the living room, I have big news!" Mom shouts back through the opening to my room. I shoot a disgusted glance at the empty hole, and for the thousandth time wished I had an actual door there.

I groan to myself and flop onto my back, feeling a little funny after laying on my stomach for so long. It's midday and nearing the end of June, and the sun is playing a game where it sees how easily it can blind me when my windows are open and my blinds aren't shut. It's winning, but I'm never in the mood to solve that problem even though I easily can.

In our little house, I can quickly feel the heat start to suffocate me when the fan is off for too long. I'm at that age where mom is starting to tell me to change into something more appropriate when I try to go over to Hugh's house in a tank top and my favorite yellow skirt, even though the heat would melt anything else I tried to wear. I know my skirt is getting a bit short, but mom still hasn't followed up on her end of the deal and bought me another one just like it. Besides, Hugh could care less what I wear. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember, and because Aspertia's such a small town, tucked away in the mountains this far southwest, there aren't any other teens our age around.

I'm lounging in the kind of outfit my mom would disapprove of just to spite her, and because I'll become a puddle if I try to sit around in anything different. My hair is wound into two buns on the side of my head, with the rest flowing freely and sticking to the back of my neck. Not even this unbearable heat will make me crack and give in to my mom's demands to cut my hair. My quilt is slightly damp, and once I realize that, I can't ignore how gross it is anymore and want to get up.

I've procrastinated going out into the living room for too long, because the floor creaks under mom's footsteps as she leans around the wall to peek into my room. She gives me a look when she takes in my current state. "Let's go, young lady," she says in a surprisingly lighthearted tone. "I promise, this is something you'll want to hear!"

I know she won't leave until she's sure I'm following her, so I slide myself off of the bed until my feet touch the carpet. "Alright, I'm coming," I grumble.

When I'm out of my room and standing by the front door, mom isn't even in the living room. She's in front of me with her hands clasped in front of her like a typical proud parent, but I have no idea what she's proud about. What did she and Hugh's mom even talk about today?

"What is it?" I ask, and I try to mask the annoyance I'm feeling with some of the genuine curiosity I have. It seems to work just fine, because mom breaks into a wide grin, which is kind of unlike her. She's a very cheery woman, I won't deny that, but she prefers small smiles and hushed laughter. I think it was her time as a Pokémon Center receptionist that made her so used to being quiet. "Do you know Professor Juniper?" She asks through a mouthful of pearly-white teeth. "She's a famous Pokémon researcher."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Ma, I know Professor Juniper. She was on TV just yesterday." And mowed through a huge chunk of information in just an hour and a half that would've taken three hours if the lecture had been given at the Trainer's School. I could respect the fact that she didn't put me to sleep like the rest of the teachers I'd had over the years. Granted, I had perked up considerably since I graduated from that place, so I might've just been more receptive of anything related to Pokémon when the learning wasn't forced.

"Well," my mom continued, "she's actually an old friend of mine, and called me just now for the first time in ages! This is out of the blue, but..."

My eyebrows shot up. Mom looked like the smile she was wearing was starting to hurt. "Yeah? What is it?" I urged for her sake. I had no idea mom and Professor Juniper were actually friends; when had they even met? The only thing I could think of was that mom had met her at the Pokémon Center and somehow struck up a conversation with a world-famous researcher, and even that sounded too farfetched for me to actually believe.

"Rosa, do you want to have a Pokémon?"

My breath left my lungs a little too fast for my liking, and I doubled over to cough hysterically. Mom rushed over and started patting my back like I was choking on something life-threatening. Finally, after a few shuddering breaths and some more pats from mom, I stood up straight again and looked her in the eye. My face still felt red from the near-death experience she'd caused me.

"Y-yes! Of course I do! When do I get one? Is the professor giving it to me?" Near-death experiences aside, chances like this always take precedence.

A Pokémon? Was mom serious? I'd been looking forward to getting one for ages, but mom always said that school came before my future responsibilities as a Trainer. When she first told me that on my eleventh birthday, saying I was unbelievably pissed was too much of an understatement for me to handle. I was a bratty little kid back then, even with just my mom and her savings for me to rely on.

But now, I'm free of my schooling, and getting a Pokémon is perfectly okay by me. And by my mother, apparently. I didn't try to swallow back all of my excitement, but I did try to stop myself from actually jumping up and down.

Mom looked delighted at my fervent interest in getting my first Pokémon, even though that meant I would have to leave her here by herself. She was the nicest person I knew and could make friends just by saying hello, but I knew our little house seemed pretty big when you were alone. A Pokémon meant a journey, didn't it? And a journey meant leaving for months at a time, yeah?

"Okay! Step one completed!" Mom said. My eyes narrowed. Step one? As in, there's more than one step? What else is there?

"Well then," mom continued, "do you know what a Pokédex is?"

I blinked in surprise. "Uh, I think so? That's where you find a Pokémon and it records all the data, right?" Mom nodded. "Am I getting one of those, too?"

"Yep!" She chirped. "But I have to be sure: do you want to have a Pokédex?"

Something to record data on Pokémon I encounter... Well, why not? Journeys are full of Pokémon battles, and if I'm going to be catching more Pokémon, I might as well get something else out of it besides training it. "Yeah, I'm sure." By now, the shock of getting my first Pokémon had dwindled down to just a small spark of excitement. Even so, it's not like I wasn't ready to go get it.

"Alright, Rosa! The course of action has been set!" What? "A girl named Bianca has come here to meet you! She's Professor Juniper's assistant. I was told to simply look for a big, green hat! You're going to go look for Bianca, and then you'll get your very own Pokédex and a Pokémon to be your partner!"

A big green hat wouldn't have been my first choice of attire, but at least that made it easier for me to find this Bianca girl. No one in Aspertia dressed like that. Seemed kind of Nuvema Town-ish to me. "Uh, alright. Sounds good, Ma!"

Mom gets a look in her eyes that reminds me of those fans practically tripping over their own two feet to get closer to the runway as Elesa struts down. I brace myself. "Ooohhhhh, Rosa! I'm so proud of you! You've grown into such a lovely young lady, and now you're finally going off on your journey!"

"Uh. Um, yeah...thanks, Ma," I stutter before she lunges over to squeeze the life out of me. Never underestimate the power of a scrawny mother. "Okay," I wheeze. "Can't...breathe..."

She immediately lets go of me when I say that, and I want to laugh at her clashing motherly instincts telling her to smother me yet allow me to live to see another day. "Oh, yes. Sorry, dear." She clears her throat. "Anyway, go pack your bag! I'll wait for you here."

"Whoa, wait. I'm leaving right now?" Even as I say it, I know it's a stupid question. Why else would mom tell me to go look for this Bianca girl? Yet I still had trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I was just going to leave. I'm not a surprise type of person. They give me anxiety.

"Yes, honey! Go on, I'll be right here." Mom says that last part like she thinks I need support. Her eyes are full of sadness and look a bit shiny at the edges, so I don't argue with her. Mom isn't much of a crier, but I turn around and leave her by the door sniffling.

When I walk back into my room, I feel an ache in my stomach like I'm about to be sick.

The posters on my wall of gym leaders, singers, actors and actresses all stare back at me indifferently. My boring green carpet and green quilt remind me of grass, and I wonder why I never bothered to redecorate my room while I was still living in it.

Magazines and books are piled on my dresser, shelf, and floor. They look like a miniature model of Castelia City, just more lumpy and lopsided and more prone to collapsing. An old copy of the Unova Weekly newspaper lies on top of one of the nearby piles, next to my bed, the top article about the newly appointed Gym Leader of Humilau City. It's that weird surfer dude who looks like he's more into gnarly waves than he does Pokémon battling, but from what I've been hearing on the TV, he's a fierce battler who actually knows his stuff.

My bag sits on my desk next to my PC that I've left in sleep mode for about two days. I snatch my cross-transceiver off of my bed and turn off the music I hadn't bothered to stop before while on my way to my desk. It's 3:26 in the afternoon. Will I manage to cover any ground on my journey before nightfall? Will I actually be able to spend one last night in the comfort of my own home before I leave for an indefinite period of time?

I trip over a pile of dirty laundry while my attention is on my X-transceiver and land hard on the carpet.

"Rosa? Are you okay?" Mom calls from the living room.

I bite back a curse so I don't accidentally let one spill out of my mouth. "I'm good, Ma."

I don't waste any more time in getting to my bag. I yank the worn handles up and cart it off the desk. My X-transceiver is on my wrist, and I spin in a circle looking for my visor. Getting ready on the fly is taking longer than I thought.

I spot my hat on my nightstand, in the same place I had set it last night before I crashed. It's literally right in front of my face. I roll my eyes and snatch that up too, throwing it on my head without any consideration for the state my hair will be in.

Maybe it's just my subconscious telling me not to leave? Do I even want to leave home, and mom? What about Hugh? What's he going to do when I receive my Pokémon? Was he asked if he wanted a Pokédex too?

I hear mom sniffle one last time from the doorway. I crush my thoughts like an aluminum can and shove my back-up visor into my bag.

Not two minutes later, I stand at the door with my hand clenching the knob. "Alright, Ma," I begin, not knowing what to say. "I...I guess I'll be going now."

Mom stands a few feet behind me and wipes her eyes with a tissue. Her arms are wrapped around herself like it's the only thing she can do to keep herself from breaking out into sobs. Her usually perfect bun on the top of her head looks only a little bit messier than my room. "You have your X-transceiver?" She asks for the hundredth time. "You have my number?"

I give her a reassuring smile, even though I'm starting to need it more myself than she probably does. "Yes, I do. And yes, I have Hugh's parents numbers, too," I say before she can ask the next question.

Mom returns my smile wholeheartedly. I know what she's going to do next before she even moves, and I meet her halfway for a hug. "Bye, Ma," I whisper into her bony shoulder.

"Goodbye, Rosa," she says into my hair, and we part. I'm out the door with a final wave and a shaky smile, and shut it behind me quietly.

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**A/N: There are a few things I want to go over about this story for a moment.**

**1\. The continuation of this is probably going to be driven mainly by the responses I get from you guys. If you like what you're reading, drop a review! Anything is welcome and will motivate me to write more. I originally wrote this chapter as well as the next a long time ago and lost the motivation to keep going, but I'd be happy to keep churning out words and sassy one-liners for y'all if you'd like.**

**2\. Even when I first played through Black 2 and White 2, it wasn't hard to notice the asinine amount of times the characters mention the hero of the first game. I've always wondered how that would affect the protagonist of the sequels, and this is the result.**

**3\. This is also my attempt at giving Rosa a personality lol.**

**The second chapter should be up in a few days and is definitely longer than this one (and better in my opinion, I'm terrible at writing beginnings), so be on the lookout. Drop a line if you can! Give me suggestions! Ideas! Anything works.**


	2. Chapter 2

One Day They'll Know

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Chapter Two

The late-afternoon heat bears down on me like it's about to squash me flat. It hasn't been three seconds since I've walked outside, and I'm sweating already. My bag feels unnervingly empty and light; there's a pit in my stomach that won't go away, and I can't help but wonder if I forgot something, but I ignore it.

The garden beside my house is blooming in a million different colors and looks beautiful. Ever since mom quit working as a receptionist, she hasn't had much to occupy her time, so her gardening skills are practically perfect thanks to all the practice she's had. Our lake is crystal clear with plants I can't name growing at the water's edge. I can see the Basculin we keep swimming around in the water; they're all the red kind, so we don't constantly have our fish attacking each other. I remember catching some with Hugh when we were half the size we are now, and me smacking Hugh hard on the shoulder when he wouldn't throw them back in the water. I turn away with a pang in my chest and stare at my sneakers.

I start off at a walk down my street and take a right. Once I come face-to-face with Hugh's house, I immediately look up at his sister's bedroom window to see if they're home. The pink curtains have been shoved aside, but no one's moving around. Neighborhood stalker, that's me.

Turns out, I don't even have to go looking for him to tell him the news. I watch as a mop of dark blue hair and small brown pigtails step outside of the house and shut the door behind them. Hugh takes his younger sister's hand and leads her into the street. Once we catch each other's eyes, I wave to him. "Hey, Hugh! Over here!"

He waves back to me, and we start to walk towards each other. Hugh's sister lifts her tiny hand in greeting, and I give her a big smile. "Hey, Sophie!" I say as she and her brother finally stop just steps away from me. Sophie's green dress has Blitzle prints around the edge and around the ends of the sleeves, and there's another horse Pokémon I don't know the name of - a white pony with a mane and tail of fire. If I had learned the name at school, I surely would've remembered it.

Hugh looks like he always does: like he's about to go traveling in a snowstorm. The collar of his red and white jacket is pulled up past his chin, and he's wearing his favorite fanny pack. If it wasn't so hot, I might've had the energy to make fun of him. "Hi, Rosa!" He says. "Have you got a-"

"No, Hugh," I interrupt, because he asks the same question every time we haven't seen each other in more than two hours. "I don't have a Pokémon yet."

Hugh tilts his head back and groans at the sky. "Aw, come on! There aren't any other Pokémon Trainers around here, and I'm getting bored!" Hugh's always bored. It's like a condition he has; if he's not doing something to keep him occupied, he likes to complain about it a little too much, if you ask me.

"Oh, relax," I chide and walk up to stand beside him. "I'm off to get it right now, if you can believe that. You seen a girl with a big green hat around here? Name's Bianca?"

Hugh doesn't seem to hear any of my questions. His eyes grow big, and so does his smile. "You're getting your Pokémon? /Right now/? And you /didn't/ tell me sooner?!"

"Hey, didn't I tell you to relax?" I put my hands on my hips for effect. "I just found out not fifteen minutes ago!" I sigh and look him over. Hugh's already gone and gotten excited. Nothing to do about that now. "Come on," I say as I grab his jacket sleeve and tug him forward. "You can come with me."

Hugh looks at me for a second, then laughs out loud. It feels good to hear his laugh. It's something familiar in my changing world, something for me to get my bearings with. "Wow, thanks for letting me tag along to witness your glorious day!" He mock-bows in my direction, but I can see the smirk written all over his face. "Should I go change clothes? I mean, the queen's gotta be better dressed than the servant, right?"

I roll my eyes and start to walk forward anyway. Sophie trails behind as she plays with the hem of her dress, her pink bows shining in the sunlight and looking like they might melt any second. "Maybe I'm just feeling merciful today. Or, _maybe_, it's a bit too hot to stand out here in the sun for an hour. And wipe your face, you've got a little sarcasm on your lip."

He laughs again, but this time yanks his arm free of my grip and walks forward of his own accord. "Alright, fine," he concedes, but I still can hear the laughter in his voice. "Let's go find this Bianca chick."

He turns to Sophie. "You go on home," he says, but unlike how he usually sounds, his words radiate kindness.

His sister nods in that cute way she always does. It makes me want to pinch her cheeks. "Okay. Bye-bye, Hugh! Bye-bye, Rosa!"

I give her a small wave. "Bye, Sophie. I'll see you later, 'kay?"

She nods eagerly, and it makes her pigtails bounce. "Okay!" Before I can turn around and start scanning the city for an abnormally large hat, Sophie's smile quickly disappears and leaves her staring at the concrete underneath her white sandals. "Rosa..." She starts, but several seconds pass without her saying another word.

My heart feels like it's being squeezed by a vice. I take a step towards Sophie and kneel down next to her. I've known Hugh for what feels like my entire life, so I've known Sophie since she was born. She's just as much a sibling to me as she is to Hugh. "What is it, sweetie?" I ask as gently as I can.

Sophie looks up at me with big brown eyes that belong on a Deerling. "When you get a Pokémon, take really, really good care of it, okay?"

_Aw, dammit,_ I think to myself. Sophie's angelic voice can make the saddest things sound like a cause for celebration, but when she gets serious like this, I always feel like the sky should be gray and the sun should be gone. I feel bad for smiling just seconds earlier. "O-of course I will, Sophie."

I know Hugh's standing behind me, but I can clearly picture his stone-cold face and clenched fists. "Yeah, Rosa's going to be a great Trainer," he adds, and I actually feel slightly flustered. Hugh's a fun guy and a great friend, but I don't think he's ever given me a compliment like that before. I turn my head to look at him, and he nods at me. "Alright, let's get going. I'll come check in later, okay, Soph? Mind telling mom and dad for me?"

She nods once and scurries off. The slam of Hugh's front door echoes around the quiet streets of Aspertia and resounds again and again in my head.

To be completely honest, I never knew what happened with Sophie. Hugh never talks about it, and I take that as a cue to not mention it in front of his parents. Sophie's such a sweetheart, and I can't bear to try and talk to her about it in case she doesn't take it well. It's something that's never been brought up, and I couldn't care less if Hugh's family preferred to keep it that way. That's their business and not mine. All I've managed to glean so far is that whatever the incident was happened when Sophie was very little, and it's been something of a scar to her ever since. But thanks to what Sophie just said now, I know this for sure: it had something to do with a Pokémon, and went south _very_ quickly.

"Alright," I say to get us back on track. I take another look around where we stand, almost smack in the middle of Aspertia. Bianca doesn't seem to be near any of the houses in the south end of the city. I look to Hugh for some guidance. "Where do we even start?"

He sweeps his ridiculous hair out of his eyes with the back of his hand. "I don't know," he admits. "She wouldn't be at the Trainer's School, would she?"

I shake my head. "Doubt it. School's already out for the day, and besides, I've already graduated. Should we check the Pokémon Center?"

"Sure." Hugh shrugs his shoulders. There's no way he _can't_ be sweating in that outfit and those baggy pants. I readjust my pink and white visor so it shades more of my face. "Why not?"

We take a right from Hugh's house and round the corner up to the Center. A few neighbors are outside tending to their gardens or relaxing on the benches scattered around town. All of them wave and Hugh and I wave back, but none of them stop to talk to us, so we don't stop to talk to them. The greetings are short and sweet and we continue on our way.

When I glance at my X-transceiver, it's a quarter till four in the afternoon. The sun's as bright as ever and doesn't seem to be setting anytime soon. When we reach the Center, no one is standing out front.

"Should we take a look inside?" Hugh asks me. "I'm not seeing a green hat anywhere around here."

I shrug for what's probably the third time today. I don't really remember. "Yeah, I guess."

Hugh offers to go check, and I let him. I'd love to stick around in the air conditioning, but now that Hugh's been acting all jumpy about me getting a Pokémon, his jittery nerves have rubbed off on me. I can't sit still and want to get moving again as soon as possible. Why was this Bianca girl so set on hiding from me? She wanted me to get there _fast,_ right? Why didn't she just look for _me_, instead of waiting half an hour for me to come and find _her?_

I start to get a little bitter, but I push those feelings aside. I mean, I'm about to get a Pokémon, so I shouldn't complain so much.

Hugh returns a few seconds later and shakes his head when I raise an eyebrow at him. "No luck," he says to reinforce his point. No Bianca.

"Well, that only leaves one place!" Hugh points at the empty air above the Pokémon Center. "The outlook is Aspertia's most famous spot!"

I nod. Unless Bianca's inside someone's house - which I doubt - or is actually in the Trainer's School, that's the one place she'll be. I could smack myself for not thinking of it earlier and saving myself the time of scouring town.

Hugh and I take off at a small jog despite the heat, and turn left towards the stairs leading up to the outlook. Hugh's right: the outlook is Aspertia's best place to go to if you want to catch a glimpse of the scenery. From that high up, you can see miles and miles of rolling hills and purple mountains. Any tourist would head straight there when they first arrive at town. Then they would realize that Aspertia's otherwise got a bunch of nothing, and leave.

We reach the foot of the concrete stairs and gaze upward. The stairs turn right at a platform, so we can't see Bianca from our place on the ground.

"Race ya," I barely take the time to tell Hugh before I dash up the stairs two at a time. I can hear Hugh groaning down below.

"Ugh, seriously?! You wanna actually do this _fairly?"_

I laugh as I run. I've reached the first platform and taken a right. "Nope!" I call down to him, but I don't turn back.

After one last set of stairs, I reach the top level and I'm immediately looking out into the distance. The picture-perfect view is just as marvelous as I remember it being when I first saw it with my mom, years ago. The grass slopes downward with a pattern that reminds me of brushstrokes, and the mountain peaks touch the sky. There's no snow on them this time of year, but I know it still has to be pretty cold at that altitude. I wish wholeheartedly that I was freezing my ass off up there instead of sweating enough to fill a swimming pool down here.

At the railing on the far end of the outlook stands a girl wearing green pants and a puffy orange jacket, and I want to scream at all these people dressed like it's winter. I bite my tongue to stop myself from offending someone; I simply sigh and tell myself to get over it. I'll be the one laughing when this girl and Hugh drop dead from heat stroke. Her head of close-cropped blonde hair is stuffed under—well, I guess mom wasn't lying about the huge green hat after all.

Hugh finally comes to a stop at my side, breathing heavily and resting with his hands on his knees. "You know..." he puffs out, "you could...at least wait...for me to get ready..."

I laugh softly. So far, Bianca hasn't turned around to look at us, so I assume she hasn't heard us yet. "Well, we found Bianca." I point to the blonde with the ridiculous jacket, which is kind of unnecessary. Besides ourselves, Bianca is the only other person on the outlook right now. I admit, going to see the view all the time gets old, and when every resident of Aspertia has seen it, it doesn't get very many visitors, save the busload of kids riding over from Floccesy Town and Virbank City who attend the Trainer's School.

Hugh stands up straight and eyes Bianca and her large hat with a look of interest. He then turns to me and waves his hands impatiently. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your Pokémon already!"

I don't need to be told twice. I smile and walk across the outlook to where Bianca's standing and ogling at the scenery. I grip the handles of my bag and try to collect myself. "Uh, excuse me?" I say when I'm a few feet behind her so I don't scare her to death. "Are you Bianca?"

She doesn't turn to look at me when I say anything. Her wide eyes and open mouth (I'll admit, that's only a guess; I've seen plenty of people to have a decent image of a first-timer's face) are still trained on the scenery beyond. "It's sooo pretty!" She cries.

I'm a bit taken aback. She's got to be, what, seventeen? Eighteen? And yet, here she is, ogling over the "pretty" scenery? "Um, yeah, it sure is."

Bianca finally looks at me. She's an inch or two taller than me, with pale skin and bright green eyes overflowing with curiosity. Red-rimmed glasses rest on the bridge of her nose, but they slide off every few seconds and Bianca has to push them back up again; they don't seem fit the shape of her head well. Even so, she's not paying a lick of attention to them, and her grin could rival my mom's, it's so wide. "Oh, sorry! And yes, my name's Bianca! I'm the assistant of Professor Juniper, the Pokémon professor!" She pauses for a heartbeat. "Oh, by the way, I'm looking for someone. Do you know a person named Rosa?"

"Yeah," I say, even though it's a stupid answer. Of course I know a person named Rosa. "I'm Rosa, actually."

Bianca's grin stretches even wider like it's made of rubber. It doesn't seem to be hurting her. Her eyes sparkle like the Grass gems I've seen people find on TV, but she doesn't seem like a Grass-type person. She has too much energy, by the looks of it. Then again, Hugh's perfect match _should_ be a Fire type, and yet his first Pokémon was a Snivy. I don't know how they get along as well as they do.

"Oh, wooow!" Bianca says in wonder. "You look ex-act-ly like what I heard!" Her hand shoots out so fast I think she's trying to jab me in the stomach for a second, but then it moves into a position for a handshake. "Nice to meet you!"

I really don't want to shake her hand. Bianca's creeping me out a little, honestly, and weird people make me nervous. I just want to get my Pokémon and leave, but I force myself to be polite. She's the one who came all this way to give me a Pokémon. Isn't Professor Juniper's lab in Nuvema Town? That's practically on the other side of the region.

I loosely grab her hand and shake it once. "It's nice to meet you too."

I let go of her hand far quicker than necessary, but either Bianca doesn't notice or she's too polite to think anything of it. "Okay, down to business!" She says, and I can't help but think, _Finally! _"I have a really important request to ask you!"

"Shoot," I tell her. My patience has magically returned ever since Bianca decided that it was time to move things along.

Bianca looks at me with expectant eyes. "Will you help us complete the Pokédex?"

It wasn't a question I expected her to ask me, but I already knew my answer, so I didn't have to sit there and think about it. "Yeah, sure I will." It shouldn't even be that hard if I'm traveling Unova for my journey. I could knock out two huge tasks at once and not waste any time.

Bianca is delighted at my answer. "Oh, wow, thanks!" She gushes. "Your support will help Professor Juniper's research move forward! Anyway, filling up the Pokédex is totally fun!"

There's no way she's as old as she looks. I decide she has to be younger than me, and I'm fifteen, but she's also too tall to be any younger than sixteen. I don't want to believe it, but I guess she really _is_ a seventeen-year-old (give or take) research assistant with an unusually bubbly personality far from what I'm used to being around.

Bianca turns away from me and digs into a bag she's carrying. I wait politely. Hugh is leaning against the railing when I sneak a look back at him. When he catches me staring, he gives me a quick thumbs-up and goes back to playing games on his X-transceiver.

I turn back around just before Bianca does, so she doesn't catch me looking at Hugh. I don't even think she knows he's there. "Ok, then! Ta-daaa!" She exclaims as she lifts a container from her bag. It's pretty big, with a glass cover, but that's not what I'm focusing on. Inside the container are three Poké Balls lined up neatly in a row, no doubt holding exactly what I think they are. Bianca must see my face light up, because she giggles at my saucer-wide eyes and slack jaw. "In here is the Pokémon that will be your partner!" She explains redundantly.

Bianca holds up the container at chest-height and clicks a button on the front with her finger. The glass cover slides away with a _hiss,_ and the three Poké Balls shine brightly in the sunlight.

I'm already reaching to grab the closest one, but Bianca carelessly puts a hand up to stop me instead of holding the container with both hands. She doesn't drop it, however, and I don't want to admit that I'm impressed. "Whoa, hold on, there!" She laughs good-naturedly. "Let me tell you what you have to choose from."

She points to the Poké Ball on my left. "This little one is Snivy, a Grass type." Her finger hovers above the middle Poké Ball. "This is Tepig, a Fire type." Finally, she gestures to the last Poké Ball on the right. "And this is Oshawott, a Water type!"

I freeze in my tracks and drop my hand when I come to the biggest realization I've had in just about my entire life: I hadn't planned for this _at all._ I didn't know I would be given a choice like this, and now I have to pick one without an adequate amount of time to think the possibilities through.

_Shit!_ I think in a panic. There's no way I can make a decision soon, much less narrow my options down to two.

Before I can start to internally freak out, I tell myself to calm down. I take a deep breath and let it out very, very slowly. I can feel Bianca's cheery eyes on me, and Hugh's probably looking over at me now, too. The sun is beating down, causing fat drops of sweat to roll down my forehead and across my temples. I need to relax, so I can think things through.

I study my choices carefully. I could follow in Hugh's footsteps and pick Snivy, but after being around his own Snivy for so long, I'll probably say no to that. Hugh's Snivy has a tendency to be too proud to do much of what Hugh asks it to—sometimes he just ignores Hugh to watch him get angry, which I'll admit is pretty comical—and I don't know if the one Bianca has will be any different. I don't need another big ego on my journey, even though I'll still argue that my ego isn't _that_ big.

I can feel the unwanted tension finally start to leak out of my shoulders with the sweat soaking what has to be almost all of my tank top. It's hot pink, so it's easy to pick out the perspiration, but I can't do anything about it at this point. I have another one I can change into in my bag for later.

_See?_ I tell myself. _Look at that! One down, two to go. What'll it be?  
_  
I stare at the middle Poké Ball. I've seen a Tepig on TV before, but I haven't seen one battle, and I know I'll be doing plenty of _that_ throughout my journey. I also know that Grass types are weak to Fire types, and that will put me at an advantage if Hugh and I ever get the chance to battle. It's not a bad strategy—Fire types are pretty strong overall, and beating Hugh in a battle is something I've been aching to do ever since his Snivy hatched.

But that would be kind of like taking the easy way out, wouldn't it?

This whole journey thing was thrust upon me at a pretty inopportune time, but I know that I want a few challenges along the way. They're fun to figure out and I learn a little something every time, and that's kind of what a journey's supposed to be about, isn't it? Hugh always liked poking fun at me for enjoying something like school, or puzzles, or riddles, but I guess some things never change.

I couldn't even explain well it in my head, but either way, my mind was made up.

"Oshawott it is, then," I mumble as I reached out to grab the Poké Ball. I pick it up gingerly and wait for something to happen, for me to feel some kind of rush of positivity or negativity towards my decision.

I don't feel anything at all. Just a cold, metal Poké Ball in my sweaty hand.

"Oh, wow!" Bianca shouts. I snap out of my trance of slight disappointment and give her one of my fake smiles. "I chose Oshawott myself when I first started my journey. You and that Oshawott are a perfect match!"

I look at the Poké Ball in my hands. How can she even tell that we're a good pair? I can't even tell if it likes me yet.

"Oh, and by the way, do you want to give Oshawott a nickname?"

I raise my eyebrows at Bianca. "A nickname?"

Her grin is more confident than I feel. "Yeah, a nickname! You don't have to if you don't want to, but nicknames help create a stronger bond between you and your Pokémon! It represents the closeness between you!"

I don't take long to mull it over, but I can't think of a suitable nickname for my Oshawott. "I think I'll pass on the nicknaming for now," I say.

Bianca shrugs as she puts the container and the two remaining Poké Balls back in her bag. "Like I said, that's okay too! But if you ever change your mind, the Name Rater lives in Castelia City! If you find him, he can rate the nicknames of your Pokémon and will help you rename them if you want!"

That was a good idea. I have plenty of time to think about a nickname from the time it should take me to get from Aspertia to Castelia. "Alright."

Bianca keeps digging in her bag for something else. "Well, now that you've got your Pokémon, I'll give you this, too—" She takes her hand out of the bag, and I see she's holding some kind of device. It's pink and black, with a Poké Ball design on the front and a blank screen just above it. "—a Pokédex!"

I reach out and take it from her. It's a device that reminds me of my house phone: a metal block with some buttons and a screen. I don't say that out loud, however. "Thanks, Bianca," I tell her, because I mean it. Now that everything's finally running its course, I'm excited for what's to come. Maybe I'll be able to fill the whole thing up.

Bianca hums in acknowledgement. "Don't mention it! Professor Juniper wants you to carry this Pokédex, visit a lot of places, and meet all the Pokémon in the Unova region!"

I nod. "I think I can manage that," I say, more to myself than to Bianca, but she responds anyway.

"Of course you can! I know it's cheesy, but I totally believe that if you set your mind to it, you can do anything!"

_That _is _cheesy,_ I think. "Okay—uh, thank you again, Bianca. Tell the professor I said thanks as well, will you?"

She nods eagerly. "Sure thing!"

I guess the conversation is over, because Bianca looks at me without the intention of saying anything else. I give her one last smile and turn back around to walk over to Hugh. He isn't playing games on his X-transceiver, so he must have been watching me for a while now.

Hugh takes a step forward to meet me. "Heeey! How long are you planning on keeping me waiting, anyway? Wait," he says when he eyes my hands, "what's that?"

He's looking at the hand that holds my shiny new Pokédex. "It's a Pokédex. It records data on Pokémon I encounter," I explain.

Hugh nods his understanding. "That sounds pretty cool!" He turns his gaze on my other hand. "So that's your partner, huh? What'd you choose?"

I show him the Poké Ball. I'm about to tell him that I chose Oshawott, but I accidentally click the button on the capsule's center and enlarge it, scaring myself silly in the process. I jump backwards with a gasp, but thankfully don't let go of my new partner.

Hugh laughs at me. "Careful there, Rosa," he gets out through his cackling. "We don't need to drop that so early on!"

I elbow him in his ribcage and he quickly shuts up with an _oof!_ "If you're finished," I tell him with a half-hearted glare, "I chose Oshawott."

Hugh gives me another thumbs-up since he can't speak yet. I smile at my handiwork. I'm so engrossed in watching Hugh double over for the second time today that I don't even notice Bianca walk up behind me.

"You two sure look like you're having fun!" She comments from behind me. I manage to not jump out of my sneakers this time around, and I squeeze my new Poké Ball a little too hard. "This reminds me of when I first got my Pokédex two years ago..." Her sentence fades as she sighs, and the nostalgia she feels is clear in her eyes.

"You went on a journey two years ago?" Hugh asks. I can understand his curiosity; I know she mentioned receiving her first Pokémon, but Bianca didn't seem like the type to travel across a region and camp in the middle of the woods. I suppose I don't really seem like the type either, but I'm going on one anyway. I guess I shouldn't judge Bianca too hard.

She nods, and her hat slides forward on her head slightly. "Sure did! Me and my two best friends from Nuvema Town all went on a journey together!"

I give Bianca a once-over. After having a full conversation with her, I can tell that something about her demeanor is off. I can't tell what it is, but I know it's there.

I decide not to test my theory for now. "That sounds like a lot of fun," I say. It really does. Three's a good number of people to travel with, but I can travel with Hugh just fine.

She looks overly pleased with my response. "It is, I promise!" Her smile is back in place, and I rest easy knowing I didn't say anything stupid or offensive. At least I still have some sort of filter lying around in my brain.

Hugh is finally standing up normally and is breathing easily again. He meets my eyes and looks down at my Pokédex one last time, before he turns to Bianca. "Uh, hey, Bianca?"

She diverts her attention from worrying with her hat and looks at Hugh. "Mm-hmm?"

He looks unruffled, which is saying something considering the state of his hair. Hugh bites his bottom lip and his hands are balled into fists, and finally his expression of discomfort fades away into determination. "Please, give me a Pokédex, too!"

Bianca and I are both taken aback. Did Hugh ever want a Pokédex to start with? He never expressed interest in anything other than going off on a journey; sometimes he would let slip that he had to find something important, but he always clammed up whenever I asked what that something was, no matter how upset I got with him if he didn't tell me. I don't know why he would want one now, but I think it has something to do with the strange look in his eyes. I haven't really seen him look this determined in a long time. He seems a little angry, actually, but I can't imagine why.

"I want to get stronger!" He shouts. "If I have a Pokédex, I can learn more about Pokémon... That'll make me tougher, right?"

Bianca looks away for a moment, and I can't read her expression. I don't know what she'll say to Hugh's request to have a Pokédex of his own, but I doubt she'll have the heart to tell him no. The only thing that could prevent Hugh from getting a Pokédex is Bianca not having an extra.

She finally faces Hugh after a few seconds of thinking. "Uh...who are you again?"

Hugh steps up to bat, fully determined on getting a Pokédex. I honestly hope he'll get one. I wonder if two Dex holders can share information between devices? "I'm Hugh! I'm going to travel the Unova region with my Pokémon partner in order to search for something very important!"

I furrow my eyebrows. _There he goes again, talking about finding something._ What the heck does he have to find that's so damn important?

I quickly tamp down my rising frustration before either of them can notice. Bianca's silent for about five seconds before she caves. "Well, okay! I don't really get it, but going on a journey is always good! And I just happen to have another Pokédex with me! It looks like Pokémon distribution here in Unova has really changed compared to two years ago, so the more, the merrier!"

Bianca hands Hugh a Pokédex that looks exactly like mine, but it's red instead of pink. Will Hugh want to trade with me? "Wow, thanks, Bianca! I won't let you down!"

Bianca hums and looks over the two of us; newbie Trainers all geared up and ready to go. "Oh!" She says. "I just thought of something cool! You both have Pokémon, right? Why don't you have a Pokémon battle?"

I give Hugh an uneasy look. _A battle? Now?_ Am I even ready for this? Oshawott hasn't even come out of its Poké Ball yet, and now Bianca wants us to battle, of all things?

Hugh doesn't look as uncomfortable with the suggestion as I do, but he unclips his own Poké Ball from his belt and grips it tightly. He raises his eyebrows at me with the silent question of _Are you okay with this?_

I sigh in exasperation. I think I'm outnumbered. I give Hugh a nod. "Yeah, sure. Let's battle."

He shoots me a grin that belongs on a child. "Alright! Let's see how good of a Trainer you are! You know I've raised my Snivy from an Egg, right?"

Looks like I need to cut Hugh's confidence down to size. "Doesn't prove anything," I retort. "You may be just as good at battling as you are climbing stairs."

Hugh laughs out loud, and my uneasiness melts. "Bring it on, then!"

We take up positions on opposite sides of the outlook. I hope no sightseers come up and try to enjoy themselves, because I doubt they'll have enough room or comfort to stay and watch the sunset in...my X-transceiver says it's 4:29. About three and a half hours until the sun sets. Talking to Bianca took longer than I expected, but I'm happy with the end result.

I take a long look at Oshawott's Poké Ball. _I hope we can win this thing,_ I think. I've seen enough battles on TV and read enough about them at school to know what I'm doing, but I also know that battles in theory are nothing like real battles. I'll probably have to wing it more often than not.

"Let's see what you can do, Oshawott," I mutter, and toss my Poké Ball in the air. 

* * *

**A/N: Well, here we are again. When I first began writing this I wanted to stick pretty closely to the true in-game dialogue, but I'm not sure how closely I'll adhere to it from now on. Regardless of the script, the events in-game won't change in this story unless I add some events of my own (which I'm sure I'll be doing). Hugh's sister also doesn't have a name in the games that I'm aware of so I just gave her one. And if anyone isn't very happy with how I'm portraying Bianca by any chance, Rosa's perceptions of people are kinda skewed when she first meets them and she takes first impressions to mean a lot, but I personally believe Bianca to be very smart and supportive by the sequels and Rosa will eventually come to see that to. Bianca does follow the character around pretty often for the beginning of the game, but maybe I'll change that a little.**

**Like usual, please drop a review! I eat them for breakfast, literally.**


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